How the Specialty Pharmaceutical is Changing the World

Specialty drugs or specialty pharmaceuticals are a recent designation of pharmaceuticals that are classified as high-cost, high complexity and/or high touch. Specialty drugs are often biologics -"drugs derived from living cells" that are injectable or infused (although some are oral medications).

They are used to treat complex or rare chronic conditions such as cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, hemophilia, H.I.V. psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease and hepatitis C.

Drugs are often defined as specialty because their price is much higher than that of non-specialty drugs.

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High complexity

Specialty drugs are more complex to manufacture. They are "highly complex medications, typically biology-based, that structurally mimic compounds found within the body". Specialty drugs are often biologics-"drugs derived from living cells"—but biologics are "not always deemed to be specialty drugs".

Biologics "may be produced by biotechnology methods and other cutting-edge technologies. Gene-based and cellular biologics, for example, often are at the forefront of biomedical research, and may be used to treat a variety of medical conditions for which no other treatments are available."

High touch

Some specialty drugs can be oral medications or self-administered injectables. Others may be professionally administered or injectables/infusions. High-touch patient care management is usually required to control side effects and ensure compliance. Specialized handling and distribution are also necessary to ensure appropriate medication administration.

Specialty drugs patient care management is meant to be both high technology and high touch care, or patient-centered care with "more face-to-face time, more personal connections". Patient-centered care is defined by the Institute of Medicine as "care that is respectful of and responsive to individual patient preferences, needs and values".